MAster Mechanic Robert Menier

It's been cold in Robert Menier's Newfoundland garage. After-dinner airplane fabrication has occasionally been out of the question. 

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Menier's retirement hobby is slightly more complex and expensive than most. Fabricating a light recreational airplane similar to a Piper Cub from plans is also risky, he admits. 
"Sometimes it's a little chilly down there," said Menier. "I have a heater in there now, so that may help it out."

Menier is not a pilot. Still, he is especially qualified, said Don Provost, the treasurer and newsletter editor for Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 501.

"Bob Menier is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge of the parts that go into the airframe of a corporate jet," he said. "[He knows] what can and must be done safely to keep them in good repair."
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The claim is backed up by evidence, according to officials at the Federal Aviation Administration. Later this February, they will award the West Milford native with their Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.

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